This story starts like most of my stories. A guy in a kayak
is fishing up a creek. The only thing is, it’s not just a story; it’s true.

During the only real cold snap that Central Texas saw this
year, a few anglers found a pattern that was producing fish: the colder the
weather, the better. If you were layered properly, the cold didn’t bite much
and the fish would be there waiting for you. As Jesse launched that afternoon
into the sub 50 degree and dropping air temps the day’s outlook was chilly but favorable.
It was warmer than it had been but still cool enough that the fish should be
biting and layers were necessary. The north wind was dropping the temperature
but as long as he kept dry everything should be fine.

He paddled the half mile to his starting point and began
seeing fish. A buddy had joined up to fish and the day was shaping up. Jesse’s
friend spotted a tremendous fish lounging under a mat of vegetation near some
vines and beneath some overhanging branches and called him over to try his
finesse bait. This wasn’t the common four or five pound fish found in these
waters but a true giant he estimated at over 10 pounds. The fish of a lifetime.
He pitched his bait to the behemoth and watched her take the bait and start
swimming away with it. Heart racing, mind in a fervor, he set the hook, watched
the bait sail out of the fish’s mouth and entangle itself in the branches and
vines seven feet overhead. Adrenaline still pumping, Jesse decided to try to
untangle the mass above while balancing in his 28 inch wide kayak. It wouldn’t
be an easy feat but he could do it.

Standing up seemed to be easy and he soon discovered keeping
his balance would be the issue. Moving toward the bow of the kayak he steadied
himself by grasping at the branches above with one hand and untangling the line
in the other. In a short time he had all but one loop undone but every time he
reached for it the branch it was on would sway out of the way. Jesse knew he would have to get closer and
tried to steady himself by grabbing a branch in each hand. As he made the move
the kayak shifted and a shudder went through his body as his center of balance
unwontedly shifted. Instinctually he released the newest branch he clung to, a
two inch thick limb of trouble and tried to regain his balance. While trying
this the cold, damp thoughts of falling out of the kayak seemed to be playing
in slow motion simultaneously with his efforts to regain stability. The kayak
started to list and he reached for the limb he had previously held. Facing the
water the limb gave way and the thought of submersion was becoming a reality
frame by frame as Jesse belly flopped into the water and out of his kayak.

At this point his Navy training, his preparation for
re-entry, his studies of just this type of situation paid off. While the water
was warmer than the air Jesse knew the timer had started. Dismissing thoughts
of continuing to fish for that 10 pounder, he climbed back on his kayak. As he
surveyed the deck for losses, he realized everything was still there. His
lashing and leashing had paid off. Now it was time to move. Knowing the cold that
would soon settle in his bones, he started paddling toward the launch at a very
brisk pace taking deep breaths and focusing on the task at hand. When he
cleared the mouth of the creek onto the main lake the wind cut him and the cold
was seeping deeper as his fingers began to numb. Jesse had several layers
including wool socks, Patagonia Capilene upper and lower base layers, ski bibs
treated with a water repellant and an North Face 800 Goose Down jacket to keep
him warm even in wet conditions. It wasn’t luck, it was preparation. He reached
the launch, cold, numb in places not as well covered and wet. The cold air
wasn’t making this easy. He remembered that you are supposed to get the wet
layers off of you but he didn’t have any other clothes to change into. He
decided to shed a couple of layers and it proved to be a mistake. With nothing
to change into, and still wet, the cold north wind cut through him like a
dagger and he began shaking. A mistake he wouldn’t make again. Jesse found a
towel in his vehicle and dried off as much as possible and then let the heater
do its job. When he had finally recovered from the cold he recounted what saved
him that day. Preparation for just such an event by practicing and watching
videos, multiple layers of good water wicking materials, and not succumbing to
the temptation to stay out longer and fish were all key players that day.

We can learn some dos and don’ts from this story but most of
all I hope we all take the potential threat of cold water submersion as a real
one. Failing to plan is planning to fail.